


Yes, And

by 13th_blackbird



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: (get it?), Dress Up, Established Relationship, Glove Kink, Horatio Figg rides again, Idiots in Love, Improv, Kink Negotiation, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mandalorian armor kink, Oral Fixation, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Sexual Roleplay, Shame/Humiliation Kink but it's light, Thrawn's ridiculous and Eli can't stop laughing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 11:18:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19108579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13th_blackbird/pseuds/13th_blackbird
Summary: Thrawn asks Eli for a reprise of his role as Horatio Figg, noted weapons-dealer and scoundrel.This time, it's a private performance, if you know what I mean. (Sex.)





	Yes, And

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [tristesses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tristesses/pseuds/tristesses) for the (long-ago) beta; she was right as usual. And thanks to [anthean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthean/pseuds/anthean) for making me finally post this. 
> 
> This is for an anon on Tumblr; you know who you are! Sorry it took me so long.

 

 

Eli didn’t think he’d ever been more nervous about a mission, but as the door hissed open and his buyer stepped into the room, he knew it was too late to back out now.

His buyer was clad in a full set of yellow and green Mandalorian armor. Eli raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected that.

“Horatio Figg,” the buyer said, his voice made even deeper by the helmet. “I’ve been told you’re trustworthy.” He took a seat across from Eli, slouching in his chair.

“My prices are fair,” Eli said. “And my stock is untraceable, guaranteed.” He was starting to warm to the part, remembering how he’d played it on the shuttle, with Nightswan’s people. Confidence, disdain. He straightened in his seat, leaned forward, and sneered. “As for trust, depends on how you deal with me, stranger. Can’t even show your face while we talk this over?”

That was a gamble on his part, Eli knew. As Thrawn lifted the helmet off, Eli had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his sneer from turning into a scoff of surprise. Where the hell did he get Mandalorian armor? Did he have it just for this? Or had he been saving it for some other purpose? Either way, it was ridiculous.

But Thrawn fixed Eli with a look so deadly serious that the laugh died instantly. It was difficult to remember, after spending so many years at his side, how chilling the right look from Thrawn could be. 

“Now the helmet makes sense. You’re pretty recognizable,” Eli said. “Don’t want your bosses to know you’re making deals with the likes of me, huh?”

“My purposes are my own,” Thrawn said. “I take it I’ve demonstrated sufficient _trust_ for us to get to the point of this exercise?”

Eli searched Thrawn’s face. He’d only said _follow my lead_ when he’d proposed this, but he was’t giving Eli much to go on. _You have a talent for improvisation,_ he’d said.

“Not much for small talk, you Imperials,” Eli drawled, to cover his uncertainty. “Guess you want to, uh…”

“I’d appreciate a sample of your merchandise,” Thrawn said.

“Oh, yeah,” Eli said. He nodded at the blaster on the table and extemporized. “New model. With a few extra aftermarket modifications. Imperial stock can’t compare.”

Thrawn picked up the blaster. He inspected it, turning it over in his hands. He ran one finger down the barrel, slowly.

Eli swallowed. Thrawn’s hands were a weakness of his, and Thrawn knew it.

“How many are available?” Thrawn said, his attention seemingly only on the weapon. He disassembled it next, his hands moving so swiftly through the steps that the pieces barely made a sound.

“How many do you need, and how much do you want to spend?” Eli countered.

“Name your price.”

Eli had expected to abandon the pretense by now, but Thrawn actually seemed to want to negotiate.

So he named a price.

Thrawn countered, an outright _insulting_ counteroffer, too.

Eli rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. “Come on,” he snorted. “You think I’m that stupid?”

There was a short, heavy silence. Eli felt himself flush. This was his _commanding officer,_ it was Thrawn, his…Maybe he’d gone too far?

“No insult meant,” Thrawn said. The corners of his mouth were turned up slightly. “Let us say one hundred credits for each, then?”

“A hundred!” Eli said, trying not to grin. “You came all this way to waste my time?” He had always liked negotiating. And Thrawn was good at it, too. Eli almost forgot that he didn’t stand to make any actual money on this deal.

Almost. Eli could feel Thrawn’s gaze on him like a touch. He knew Thrawn could see in the infrared spectrum, could see the heat of Eli’s skin, how he was reacting to Thrawn’s proximity, the push-and-pull of the false negotiation, Thrawn’s hands on the blaster, the anticipation of how this would become what they had said it would become.

“That is acceptable,” Thrawn said, finally.

“We have a deal then?” Eli said.

“I believe we do,” Thrawn stood up, and extended a hand.

Eli was already taking Thrawn’s extended hand, his heart speeding up. Heat was pooling low in his belly and they hadn’t even touched yet.

They actually shook hands, only once, firmly, like they were really doing a business deal. But Thrawn didn’t let go of Eli’s hand.

“Uh,” Eli said, floundering again.

“I had heard,” Thrawn said, voice low. He pulled Eli a step closer. “that you dealt in more than weapons.”

And he looked Eli up and down, a long, lingering appraisal. That was new. They always rushed, their time together a stolen moment between duties, something not discussed, negotiated, navigated, like this was.

So this was the real game.

“I might,” Eli said, not sure where the words were coming from. His own voice sounded strange, rough. “for the right buyer. And the right price.” He held Thrawn’s gaze, feeling his lips part.

“Hmm,” Thrawn considered him. He still held Eli’s hand in his own, cool fingers stroking Eli’s palm, then his wrist. “I would like to inspect the merchandise.”

It sounded like a bad porn holo, honestly, or it should have. But it felt—

Eli stepped back, out of Thrawn’s grasp, and spread his arms. “Go ahead,” he said, grinning. “Worth the price, guaranteed.”

Thrawn had told him what to wear. Civilian clothes, not one of Thrawn’s too-big tunics this time. Eli didn’t know when Thrawn had had the time or the means to get them. A battered black tunic, open at the throat. Thrawn unsealed it, carefully not touching Eli’s skin, and the tunic fell fully open. Eli let it drop to the floor in a hiss of fabric. The trousers were tight, some kind of synthetic hide, and Eli had felt particularly exposed in them. Even more so when Thrawn stepped back and nodded at him, once, sharply. Eli took the hint and unlaced them, shoved them inelegantly over his hips down onto the floor, and stepped out of the puddle of discarded clothes.

He stood there, warring with an urge to cover himself, the shush of the ship’s cool recycled air raising goosebumps on his exposed skin.

Thrawn had seen him naked, of course. This was different.

Eli tried to remember the role he was supposed to be playing. Should he try to take control of this scenario? Should he resist more? What would an actual arms dealer turned… _escort_ do?

 _Follow my lead,_ Eli reminded himself.

Eli spread his hands wide, gesturing at himself, and tried to smirk at Thrawn. “Like what you see, _Admiral_? Wouldn’t think someone like you’d be in this market but—“

“As a businessman, you must be aware that there are services best left to professionals,” Thrawn said, smoothly. He took something out of his pocket. “And in this, as in other interests of mine—“

A pair of thin, smooth disposable gloves. Eli recognized them. Gloves for handling artwork.

“—I am something of a connoisseur,” Thrawn said, pulling the gloves on, letting Eli watch him.

And then Thrawn _inspected_ him.

Just as Thrawn had stroked the barrel of the blaster, Thrawn traced up Eli’s arms, feeling the muscles there, squeezing lightly at his biceps. He moved his attention to Eli’s collarbones lightly with one finger, ran his hands down over his chest, then the curve of his hips. He leaned down and buried his face in the junction of Eli’s neck and shoulder. Eli felt the warmth of Thrawn’s breath on his skin and shuddered. His cock was hard, brushing his stomach, aching.

“Very nice,” Thrawn hissed. “Aesthetics, however, do not guarantee performance.”

“ _Hey,_ ” Eli said, pulling himself back from his trance. “I—“

Thrawn laughed softly. Oh, right.

“I mean,” Eli said, biting back a gasp. “ _Performance_ comes after _payment_ , got it?” He was about to start laughing in earnest now, too. It was just all so—

“A demonstration, then,” Thrawn said. He placed the tip of his index finger on Eli’s bottom lip. “A test of capability. Open.”

“Open—?”

Thrawn gripped Eli’s jaw, holding his mouth open on the word, which cut off in a half-yelp, half-moan.

Thrawn thrust his gloved fingers inside Eli’s mouth. 

“Hm,” Thrawn said, looking down on him. Thrawn’s other hand was still on Eli’s chin, holding him in place. “Your body temperature is higher than mine. That bodes well.” He ran his fingers over Eli’s tongue, pushing back towards his throat—Eli reached for Thrawn’s hand, trying to pull him back, but he was merciless. He pressed back far enough that Eli finally gagged around his finger.

A flood of shame suddenly crashed over him. Shame and arousal. Eli’s face flushed, the hot blush traveling down his chest. This was _not_ where he’d imagined this going. And yet, he didn’t want it to stop.

“Better than I expected,” Thrawn said, his voice a shade unsteady.

Eli could see him swallow, the muscles in his throat working inches from Eli’s face. He released Eli’s chin, stepped back. Eli swayed at the loss, his knees weak. He wanted to say _don’t stop,_ but Thrawn must have read it on his face.

Thrawn put his hand on Eli’s cock, and it was all Eli could do not to thrust into his hand, to drop his head onto Thrawn’s shoulder and beg. But Thrawn didn’t stroke him, didn’t provide any kind of friction, any _relief,_ he just _inspected_ again. Holding Eli’s cock and balls in his cupped hands as though weighing them, encircling him with his thumb and forefinger like he was taking measurements…Eli shut his eyes against another wave of shame, and Thrawn gave the head of his cock a short, experimental squeeze. Eli’s hips rocked involuntarily.

Thrawn murmured, “Yes, very good. Responsive. Sensitive.”

“So…we have a deal?” Eli said. He could hear his own desperation.

Thrawn’s eyes glittered. “Not yet.”

Thrawn stepped back, an arm’s length away, circling him, still looking at him appraisingly. “As with weapons, it is important to know _all_ the capabilities of the item I am buying,” he said.

“Definitely. You’re an informed customer, Admiral,” Eli gasped.

And then Thrawn was behind him, one arm wrapped around Eli’s waist, the other gloved hand—now slick—pressing at his hole. Eli relaxed back, letting Thrawn hold him upright. He pressed in with one finger, making slow circles with it, teasing. Testing. Eli moaned in frustration, reaching for his cock—

Thrawn withdrew his finger, but kept his grip on Eli’s waist. “How much?” he said into Eli’s ear.

Eli gasped out a laugh. “Which—which part do you want?”

“I’ll take all of what you’re offering,” Thrawn said.

“Ah, I don’t know,” Eli said, trying to hold onto the game, the character he was supposed to be playing. “Can’t we just—I want to—“

“Negotiate,” Thrawn said, still infuriatingly calm as he removed the gloves. “Name a price.”

“I don’t—“ Eli could barely think of anything except how badly he wanted Thrawn’s hands back on him, Thrawn’s body pressed up against his, skin to skin. Was he screwing this up? “Thrawn, come on, please—“

“You don’t want payment?” Thrawn said.

He was halfway to laughing, the bastard, and Eli forgot his frustration for a moment and laughed too. “If you _really_ want me to, but—“

Thrawn released his hold on Eli and started stripping off his armor, surprisingly fast, stacking it neatly on the table. “You’re not one for games,” he observed. “At least, not in this area.”

“No, not really,” Eli said.

“But you follow me willingly,” Thrawn said, removing the last piece and turning toward Eli again. Under the armor, he wore a tight fitting black bodysuit.

“That’s kind of my lot in life, isn’t it,” Eli said, dryly. “And playing a role…it was fun, even on the shuttle, I kind of—I liked it. But now I just want—”

Eli reached for the sealing strip of the bodysuit, and Thrawn grabbed his hand, stilling the movement. “What is it you _want_ , Commander?”

He said it evenly, calmly, as though Eli were sitting on the other side of Thrawn’s desk, not standing naked in front of him. Eli’s pulse hammered against Thrawn’s grip on his wrist.

He wished he’d just played along with the negotiation. Eli swallowed, searching for words, pinned by Thrawn’s eyes on him. He shifted his hips against Thrawn’s, finding him as hard as Eli was.

Thrawn shut his eyes for a moment, took a stuttering breath that meant that he was holding back a moan, relaxing his hold—

Eli reached for the sealing strip again, and Thrawn’s eyes snapped open. Before Eli could make a move, Thrawn had him against the wall, a hand on either wrist, holding his hands down, body pressed against his. Thrawn dipped his head and buried it in the junction of Eli’s neck and shoulder, like he had when he was doing his inspection.

“Your commanding officer asked you a question,” Thrawn murmured, rocking against Eli again—once. “What is it—“ another slow slide against him. “you want?”

Eli struggled against Thrawn’s hold, flexing his hands ineffectually. This was another game, a different game than the one he’d signed up for. Just the same, Thrawn’s touch made his blood surge, made his cock ache. “ _You,_ ” he gasped. “That’s it, I just want you, _please—“_

Thrawn let go of Eli’s wrists, but still held him pinned against the wall, covering him with his body. He ran his mouth over Eli’s collarbone, sank his hands into Eli’s hair and murmured “Yes,” before pulling back to kiss him. Eli sagged against him, drowning in the sensations—Thrawn’s mouth and clever tongue, their hips grinding together, Eli’s hands clutching Thrawn’s back, feeling his muscles flex through the smooth, thin fabric of the bodysuit.

Thrawn was quiet, focused now. His eyes were closed as Eli traced the lines of his cheekbones, let his fingers drift over Thrawn’s lips and down his neck, then unsealedthe bodysuit at last. Eli’s intent was always to get him to lose control, to make a sound—it was rare, and that made it all the more satisfying. He wasn’t there yet.

Thrawn reached down, finally gripping Eli’s cock. Not measuring and inspecting this time—though the thought of that made Eli’s hips jerk—but caressing, giving him just a little friction.

“Think Figg’d let you have it for free,” Eli ground out.

Thrawn gripped Eli’s hip with his other hand, pulling him close. Thrawn’s hands were large and strong, the skin cool and calloused. “I doubt that,” Thrawn said, dryly. “I believe he would take me for everything I had.”

He increased the friction, squeezing harder, and Eli moaned, dropping his head to Thrawn’s chest. “Oh yeah?” he managed. The thought of the negotiation, the bargaining, Thrawn’s hands measuring and inspecting him—his skin burned with it, his arousal surging and mingling with shame and pleasure at being an object Thrawn wanted to _purchase—_

“Yes,” Thrawn hissed. “He would negotiate a high price, and I would pay it.”

Another squeeze, another roll of his hips against Eli’s—

“ _Fuck,_ ” was all that Eli could manage at that, and then he couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t get enough of Thrawn’s skin under his hands, pressing against him shamelessly.

Thrawn gasped, a small sound that heralded the loss of control Eli longed for, and practically kicked Eli’s legs apart, whirling him around and pinning him against the wall, slick fingers sliding into him—

“You don’t have to pay for it,” Eli said, barely realizing he was speaking at all. “I’ll give you whatever you want, I—“

Thrawn bit down on the muscle in Eli’s shoulder. “I revise my earlier opinion,” he hissed in Eli’s ear. “You enjoy this game, don’t you? ”

“Yeah,” Eli moaned. Playing and not-playing, true roles and ranks mixed with false ones…following each other’s lead. “Gods, _yes,_ please—“

Thrawn thrust another finger into him, stretching him, stroking his cock and mouthing at the sensitive skin of his neck, and Eli felt like he was on fire with it. He keened and rocked back as Thrawn withdrew his fingers, replacing them with the tip of his cock.

Eli wanted it fast and hard, but Thrawn gave it to him slowly, inch by inch, and he spoke under his breath the whole time, words that meant nothing to Eli in Basic or Sy Bisti, cutting himself off with a low moan at the end.

And then, neither of them said anything. There was only the sound of their gasping breaths as Thrawn took him slowly, driving him to climax and backing him down so many times that Eli thought he’d lose his mind but he didn’t want it to end—

Thrawn’s hand closed around his cock and squeezed, hard, at the same time he thrust _just_ a little deeper, and Eli came so hard the world went dark. Distantly, he felt Thrawn’s head on his shoulder, his breath at his ear as he shuddered and gasped, the clench of his hand on Eli’s hip, leaving finger-shaped bruises—

They sank to the floor together, breathing hard. Eli reached out, not wanting to lose the feeling of Thrawn’s skin against his, and brushed a hand over his chest. “Okay,” he said, after a moment. “Games are all right.”

Thrawn laughed, a genuine, surprised chuckle that Eli could feel under his hand.

“Thank you for indulging me,” he said. “I admit, I was curious about your performance for Nightswan. I wanted to see it for myself.”

“Mm,” Eli managed. “My, uh, performance for him wasn't the same as this. At all.”

“I would think not,” Thrawn said, covering Eli’s hand with his own.

Funny how a simple gesture could make Eli’s skin flush with heat, even after all _that._

“Your lot in life is not to follow me willingly,” Thrawn went on, after a moment.

Eli opened his eyes and found Thrawn considering him, an unreadable look in his flat red gaze. “What?” he said.

“That is not my intent,” Thrawn said.

 _What is your intent?_ Eli thought, but didn’t say it.

“It was a joke. And anyway, I don’t mind it,” he said instead. “Following your lead’s always interesting.” He gave Thrawn a grin, but Thrawn just looked at him steadily.

Eli knew he should get up, go back to his own quarters. He couldn’t lay on the floor all night, and they didn’t spend the night together. Thrawn didn’t even usually sleep but would go back to work.

This felt different. Thrawn carded his fingers through Eli’s hair, stroking his scalp, the nape of his neck, his back. “You do not just follow my lead,” Thrawn said. “You build upon it. You surprise me. That is not something I expected to find in the Empire.”

Eli sat up. Thrawn looked at him unflinchingly. “It is late,” he said. “Do you wish to stay here tonight?”

Eli felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah,” he managed. “I would. I just have one question.”

“Yes?” Thrawn stood and offered him a hand up. 

Eli took it. “Where the _hells_ did you get that armor?”

Thrawn smiled, a small, secretive Chiss smile, but didn’t answer as he led Eli out of his office and into his private quarters.

 


End file.
